Apparatus for washing the doctor blades of printing presses



CONTAC'I1 WITH SOLIDS NOV. 24, 1936. G. A. FR|ES$ APPARATUS FOR WASHING THE DOCTOR BLADES OF PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 d m i ATTORNEYS oUN'l'AUl' WlTH SOLIDS Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR WASHING THE DOCTOR BLADES OF PRINTING PRESSES tion of New York Application July 20, 1935, Serial No. 32,377

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for washing the doctor blades of printing presses.

My invention relates particularly to the Washing of the doctor blades which are used in rotogravure printing presses.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient apparatus, whereby the sediment which results from the Washing operation can be separated from the washing liquid or solvent.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus having a Washing compartment, and also having a sediment compartment, the Washing compartment being separated from the sediment compartment, by movable closure means.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings Which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above statement of the objects of my invention is intended to generally explain the same Without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is aside elevation illustrating the improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of Fig. 1, With the cover of the apparatus in the open position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of Fig. 2, the cover being shown in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

It is customary to use a doctor blade in various types of printing presses, and particularly in gravure printing presses of the rotary type. Such doctor blades accumulate more or less dry ink, and it is therefore necessary to cleanse such doctor blades frequently.

It has heretofore been proposed to Wash the doctor blades by immersing them in a compartment Which contains a solvent or other cleansing uid and to agitate said uid relative to the doctor blade. However, the solvent or cleansing fluid rapidly took up a large amount of the ink, so that it was necessary to frequently renew the washing iiuid or solvent. Likewise efficient cleansing could not be performed under these conditions.

According to my invention the apparatus is divided into a Washing compartment, and a sediment compartment. Said compartments are separated by a movable door or partition or the like. Hence the sediment compartment can be cleansed or drained, while the washing fluid, or

a substantial part thereof, is retained in the washing compartment.

As shown, for example, in Fig. 3, the machine has a frame F of any suitable type. A casing I is mounted upon the frame F. This casing I may 5 be of any suitable shape, and it can be made of any suitable metal or other material. The casing I is divided into a washing compartment 2, and a sediment compartment 3, by means of doors or closures 4 and 4a. 10

As shown in Fig. 3, When the doors 4 and 4a are in the closing position, the adjacent edges of said doors form a butt-joint, and said joint may be liquid-tight. I do not Wish to be limited to any particular type of joint between the adjacent 15 edges of said doors 4 and 4a and any construction can be used which Will either wholly or substantially separate the compartments 2 and 3.

As shown in Fig. 4, an angle iron 5 is connected to the upper surface of the door 4, by any 20 suitable fastening means.

As shown in Fig. 4, a metal bar 6 is connected to the vertical flange of the angle iron 5. This bar 6 is Welded or secured in any suitable manner to a stud shaft 1. This stud shaft 'I passes 25 through a bearing member 8. The bearing member 8 has an externally threaded shank,` Which passes through and which is engaged by nut members 9 and 9a.

The nut members 9 and 9a are connected to 30 the adjacent Wall of the casing I by means of bolts I 0 which pass through said nut members 9 and 9a. A gasket II is provided between the nut members 9 and 9a, in order to provide a liquid-tight packing. The bearing member 8 is 35 removable from the supporting members 9 and 9a.

At its other end, and as shown in Fig. 2 the angle iron 5 is provided with a bar 6a, which is similar to the bar 6. The bar 6a is connected to 40 a stud shaft I2, Which ts in a recess which is provided in a hub of the adjacent wall of the casing I.

The door 4a is provided with angle irons and bars which are similar to those which have previously been described. The bar 6 of the door 4a is also Welded or otherwise secured to a stud shaft 1a, one of whose ends is turnably located Within a hub I4 of the adjacent Wall of the 50 casing I.

The stud shafts 'I and Ia are provided with bevel gears I5, and said bevel gears I5 mesh with bevel gears I6 which are mounted upon a connecting shaft I 'I. Hence the doors or closures 55 4 and 4a are turned in unison, either upwardly or downwardly.

As shown in Fig. l, an operating handle I8'is connected to the shaft 1, so that both doors can be raised and lowered in unison.

The doors are provided with stops for limiting the downward movement thereof. These stops comprise plates I9, which are suitably connected to the lateral walls of the casing I.

The ends of said plates I9 are enlarged, as shown in Fig. 4. These plates I9 also supplement the doors, in separating the sediment compartment 3 from the Washer compartment 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the length of each door is less than the length of the casing, and the end or lateral edges of the doors are separated from the lateral walls of the casing I. The lateral edges of the doors overlap the plates I9, when the doors are in their closing position. The adjacent edge portions of the doors 4 and 4a are provided with stiffening angle bars 20.

The sediment compartment 3 is provided With a drain 2I, controlled by a valve which is operated by a hand wheel 22.

The doctor blade D is normally provided with a suitable holder at one edge thereof, and said holder is clamped in the printing press. While being washed, the doctor blade D is retained in its holder. This holder is held between the jaws of the clamping device 23, by means of a clamp 25. This clamp has an externally threaded shank which is located within an internally threaded bore of a jaw of clamping device 23. Upon turning the clamping device 25, its end is pushed inwardly, in order to clamp the holder of the doctor blade D.

As shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of clamping devices 23 can be mounted upon the shaft 24, and these clamping devices may be offset with respect to each other. Hence a plurality of doctor blades D can be simultaneously washed in the apparatus, and these doctor blades need not be aligned with each other, although this can be done if desired. The respective doctor blades can be at any desired angle to each other, while they are being washed.

The shaft 24 is provided with a detachable sleeve 24a, and the respective clamping devices 23 can be detachably connected to the sleeve 24a. Likewise, the sleeve 24a is caused to turn in unison with the shaft 24, by means of removable pins or the like.

Referring to Fig. 2, the right-hand end of the shaft 24 is turnably mounted in the recess of a hub of the adjacent lateral wall of the casing I.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the left-hand end of the shaft 24 passes through a bearing B, which is of the same general type as that shown in the lower left-hand corner of Fig. 4. The shaft 24 is provided with a hand wheel by means of which the shaft 24 can be turned or rocked.

The shaft 24 is provided with a collar 3|, having a series of perforations 32. A stop pin 33 is urged by a spring 34, to detachably engage the collar 3I, by entering one of said holes 32. The stop pin 33 is slidably mounted in a bracket 35 which is connected to the adjacent end Wall oi' the casing.

The stop pin 33 can be held in inoperative position by any suitable means.

The washing compartment is lled with solvent up to about the level of the line L and said washing compartment is provided With a cover C.

When it is desired to remove the doctor blades from the clamping devices 23, or when it is desired to upwardly move the doors 4 and 4a into the open posiiton, as illustrated by the curved lines in Fig. 3, the clamping devices 23 should be held so that the doctor blades are located above the path of movement of the doors, and above the level of the solvent.

In utilizing the device, the cover C is closed. and the shaft 24 is turned or rocked by means of the hand wheel 30, so that the solvent removes the dried ink from the doctor blade or blades D. Sai-d blades D can be held aligned, if desired.

When the solvent has taken up enough of the dried ink, the doors 4 and 4a can be swung open, and the dried ink and other dirt speedily settles in the sediment compartment 3. The doors 4 and 4a. can then be closed, and the drain 2I can be opened, so as to empty the compartment 3. In this manner a substantially clean solvent can be secured in the Washing cornpartment, with very small loss of solvent, since the volume of the sediment compartment 3 is much less than the volume of solvent within the Washing compartment 2. Said sediment compartment 3 should be made as small as possible.

The cover C can be provided with stops 36 for limiting its opening movement, and said cover can be held in closed position by means of latches 31.

Sirgfilmllemliiagunlwnlatilirganiwur, 1 is important to maintain the compartmen ghtly closed, during the washing operation.

I can utilize any suitable means for supporting the doctor blade in the Washing compartment, or for causing relative movement between the doctor blade and the cleaning liquid, which may be gasoline or the like.

It is not necessary to separate the washing compartment and the sediment compartment by means which are liquid-tight, because the sediment compartment can be drained very rapidly, using any suction device (if desired).

It is not necessary to drain the sediment from the lower chamber of the machine between successive washing operations. The doors prevent any sediment in the lower chamber from being agitated by the washing operation in the upper chamber. Hence a number of blades can be washed before the sediment chamber is drained. after each washing, the sediment can be allowed to settle in the lower chamber by opening doors 4 and 4a. Said doors can then be closed prior to the next washing.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be made without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

1. Mechanism for Washing the doctor blade of a printing press comprising a casing, a pair of doors turnably connected to said casing and turnable around axes which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the casing, end plates connected to the end Walls of said casing, the lateral edge portions of said doors overlapping said end plates when the doors are in the closing position, said doors and said end plates separating the casing into an upper washing compartment and a lower sediment compartment when the doors are in the closing position, and means connecting said doors so that they are turned upwardly and downwardly in unison.

2. Mechanism for washing the doctor blade of a printing press comprising a casing having a CONTACT WIT E longitudinal axis, a pair or doors whose combined width is substantially equal to the width of the casing, each said door having shaft means connected thereto above the top surface of said door, said shaft means being turnably 'mounted in the end walls of the casing, means interconnecting said shaft means so that said doors are turned upwardly and downwardly in unison, said doors dividing the casing into an upper washing compartment and into a lower sediment compartment when the doors are in the closing position.

3. Mechanism for washing the doctor blade fof a printing press comprising a casing having a longitudinal axis, a pair of doors whose combined width is substantially equal to the width of the casing, each said door having shaft means connected thereto above the top surface of said position, the end walls of the casing having plates connected thereto, the end edge portions of the doors overlapping said end plates when said doors are in the closing position.

4. Mechanism for washing the doctor blade of a printing press comprising a casing which is 'adapted to contain a washing liquid, said casing having movable closure means which separate said casing into an upper washing compartment and a lower sediment compartment, said closure means comprising door means which are turnably mounted in the interior of the casing, supporting means located in the upper washing compartment and adapted and operative to support the doctor blade which is to be Washed, said supporting means being movable to a position in which the doctor blade is immersed in said liquid and in which position said supporting means obstruct the full opening of said door means, said supporting means being also movable to a position in which the doctor blade is withdrawn from said liquid and in which position said supporting means permit the full opening of said door means.

GUSTAVE A. FRIESS. 

